An Average Day at the El Chapo Trial — Far Away From Earth

I wonder about the the witnesses. How did the government get them to spill their guts? Are they in the US Witness Program?

Federal marshals are not being paid during this shutdown but yet are guarding him , makes sense doesn’t it ?? , hmmmmm

Sounds like a fascinating way to make a living. A little envious! And grateful you’re there doing the 4th estate’s important work informing the citizenry!

I can only admire such good work apparently driven by real interest, and, although this one piece is all I have read so far about this case, within this brief story I think is a grain which is telling me that the, "failing New York Times," at least, here, is not failing, and is a treasure, for all the right reasons. *Just a thought. Listening to Stephen Kinzer's "Overthrow" I was disappointed, if I understand it, to see, in the historical record, that the New York Times did publish propagandist pieces evidently to advance some of the projects, Mr. Kinzer was trying to tell us about. No individual, no journalistic enterprise is without error. I can't write and not try to be fair.

i’ve been really enjoying your coverage! this behind-the-scenes peek is much appreciated.

This is great. It would be more fulfilling to also know how the writer shapes his stories given the wealth of testimony in this case, how he decides what’s important for readers to know and why.

Sounds like a long day, Alan, though it seems you have been using the time productively. I am looking forward to your book on this trial.

Only in New York and only in the New York Times is the story of Chapo and the complete corruption of Latin American governments, fueled by Americans and Europeans who love cocaine. I have been visiting and sometimes living in Colombia for 46 years and recall vividly the days of Pablo Escobar. Just so you know, things are great now in Colombia. We signed an extradition treaty with Colombia back in the 1980's and now have over 400 Colombian drug lords in American federal prisons. The drug cartels moved to Mexico. After 9-11, we gave Colombia 5 billions dollars worth of American weapons including 30 black hawk helicopters and all the FARC terrorists are dead or decommissioned. Colombians love Americans. You can get a resident visa in 48 hours if you have an income in the U.S. It is a paradise of natural beauty with the world's best weather. We had three million tourists last year and it's cheap. God bless the Americans. Come and visit me in El Valle, Choco, one of the world's most spectacular paradises with almost no human habitation.

I am impressed that our legal system is strong enough to run an orderly trial for a crime boss like El-Chapo. With over $1B in assets, and a large crime syndicate behind him, after breaking out of prison twice in Mexico, I wondered if he would be able to buy a corrupt guard or hire a military-style assault team to break him out of US custody. So far, so good, and it sounds like the trial is pretty much like any other criminal trial - at least in the court room.

Who has killed more people, El Chapo or PurduePharma, the company that makes OxyContin?

Every single American needs to be paying close attention to the proceedings of this trial. Damning testimony which could implicate at least two former Mexican presidents has been suppressed by the trial judge. Testimony which could show they received enormous piles of cash from El Chapos cartel. The trial judge doesn’t want to cause unnecessary embarrassment to them! What? This has all of the appearances the dirty politicians above a certain level are about to get a pass and walk away without fear of punishment. This type of behavior by a trial judge who’s probably being pressured by American politicians should not be allowed. Let the jury hear all pertinent testimony and allow the scales of “blind justice” to apply the same force of law to all of those whom operated or received money from the cartel to facilitate its operation. They are all just as dirty as El Chapo.

This El Chapo thing brings to mind when the army or CIA announce the name of another Taliban leader they have killed, as if we, the public, are anxiously waiting to hear the news of it. The media dutifully read a blurb about the Taliban chief’s killing by drone. Next month it will be the name of some other Taliban officer. In the meantime, hundreds of nameless Afghanistan soldiers, government workers, civilians, maybe a few unlucky American or other NATO soldiers, and some more Taliban grunts will die messy—and completely meaningless—deaths. Likewise, El Chapo gets replaced by someone else, new crews assume the job of supplying the insatiable demand for heroin and cocaine and meth in the U.S., there is continued war between the drug cartels and Mexican police, a new president of Mexico takes office, and the circus goes on.

Mexico is a failed state. The US should take it over and make it part of the US and introduce Anglo Saxon based law. It would be a big effort but the wall is not an option, continued drug sales hurts both countries, the massive migration without financial support hurts the US taxpayer. Labor arbitrage over the border hurts US and Mexican workers. Mexico and Central America are our demographic future. As reported. I don't doubt for a minute that the presidents of Mexico get bribes. Nothing is going to change as the Mexican population tells us by voting with their feet.....unless they are staying to take what they can before they leave.

Fascinating read. And it sounds like really long days for the author.

It's amazing that so far, reporters in this country have covered this trial in peace. Let's hope the Traitor-In-Chief doesn't change that.